Harrogate Crime Writing Festival #1

The Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival is here again. Work commitments meant that I didn’t arrive at the event until Friday evening. I did, however, manage to make it to the party hosted by Dead Good Books and was able to catch up with writers, reviewers, bloggers and readers that I’ve got to know over the years. At these events, though, it’s always an opportunity to meet for the first time writers whose books I’ve loved. One such author was Jan Costin Wagner, a German writer whose books, set in Finland, are characterised by a bleak lyricism. I rarely take “me with the author” snaps but, feeling slightly star struck (what’s the point of loving books is you can’t have your heroes), here’s an exception to the rule.

But of course I don’t just come to Harrogate to drink and socialise. There are some great discussions that I’m hoping to attend today, the first of which is Val McDermid’s New Blood panel which features another favourite writer of mine. Anya Lipska’sWhere the Devil Can’t Go was one of my top 5 reads of 2012. If you haven’t read it yet – here’s my review to tempt you.